Whispering stars
by WolvesChaseRabbits
Summary: Songfic. So Close-Jon McLaughlin. It kinda stretches out from when Fiyero is in school to when he meets Elphie again to *you know*. PLEASE R&R AND MOST OF ALL, ENJOY :D    Rated T for safety.


.:xoxo:.

"_You're in my arms_

_And all the world is gone_

_The music plays for only two"_

She was shaken. He could tell. And he would never blame her.

They had rescued the Lion cub together: Stunned the class, grabbed the cage and sprinted to the courtyard. With a little effort, he broke the lock of the cage with a stray brick and helped the Lion over the wire fence

He had turned his back and planned to walk back – his reputation demanded it….but something held him back.

Fiyero peeped over his shoulder and saw the green girl kneeling in the ground, shivering a little. Against his better judgment, he approached her slowly and when he was within range, the girl looked up at him through deep, vulnerable dark eyes.

"Did I do the right thing?"

"_So close together"_

He knelt down next to her and wrapped his arms awkwardly around her shoulders.

"I'm sure you did…you saved it, Elphie…you didgood…" Softly, he tried to comfort her. All of a sudden, he hardly knew how, but he felt something stir within him.

"_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feel you alive"_

"You know something, Elphaba?" Gently, he lifted her chin so he could face her properly. Fiyero wanted to be sincere for once. "…You look beautiful."

She left off a dry laugh and it confused him.

"You don't have to lie to me…"

"But it's not lying…" A small grin tugged at the corner of his lips. "…It's looking at things another way…"

.:xoxo:.

"_A life goes by_

_Romantic dreams must die_

_So I bid mine goodbye_

_And never knew"_

He knelt down on one knee in front of her and opened the small box in his hands to reveal the sparkling diamond ring as he asked for her hand. She squealed and he straightened up to embrace her in his arms.

It was right, was it not? This was how every story was supposed to end: With the popular girl in school growing up and becoming successful and the golden boy being at her side since then and forever now.

"_So close was waiting_

_Waiting here with you_

_And now forever I know"_

But was this really the end of the fairytale?

It might be for hers but no matter how he looked at it, he simply could not find his own happily ever after. He knew something was missing—it was obvious.

And he knew what it was.

"_All that I wanted _

_To hold you_

_So close"_

It was hardly a sudden realization, no. He knew it all the while but everything just finally clicked.

Fiyero scarcely wanted to wake up next to this fair lady, face buried in her blonde hair, never. He wanted to be with Elphaba. Because colour was not a factor of affection and the only thing that mattered were the reciprocal feelings.

"_So close to reaching_

_That famous happy ending_

_Almost believing_

_That this one's not pretend"_

He silently cursed himself for only realizing this fact so late in the game, after proposing to another girl no less. Quietly despised his past ignorant self for not seeing it then and seizing the chance when it was not yet too late, and hated his present compromising self for using this current relationship as a sad substitute to fill the hole in his heart.

Fiyero swore that he would find Elphaba. He had to.

"_Now I look beside me_

_And look how far we've come"_

And he did.

Fiyero laid back onto the stiff bed and admired his lover's body with the dim moonlight spilling in from the rusty window. For every contour…every inch of skin, he was eternally grateful for.

Basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking, Fiyero felt immensely satisfied with himself as he replayed all their moments together in his head.

"_So far we are so close"_

Turning to face him, Elphaba smiled at him drowsily and called him "Yero, my hero."

And that melted his heart.

.:xoxo:.

"_Oh how could I face"_

But all good things must come to an end…

"_Those faceless days"_

The cat watched, sneering and spitting, in the corner as the group of the Wizard's Guards surrounded the Winkie prince.

"Tell us where she went, boy." One demanded when another two held Fiyero's hands behind his back and forced him into a kneeling position.

"…Never. Not even with my dying breath." His voice was soft and hoarse from torture and abuse. The man delivered a hard blow to his chin, stiff boot still on, and his face slammed flat on the floor, breaking his nose.

"….Very well, then."

His words were slick with venom and Fiyero could easily hear the sadistic smile growing,

"_If I should need lose you now"_

His body lay limp on the dusty floorboards; broken, cold, bloodied and bruised.

His dying wish was for her to understand why he had to do what he did, for her to forgive him on the choice he had made. Fiyero would never know if she really did.

But at least he kept his promise.

.:xoxo:.

"_We're so close to reaching_

_That famous happy ending"_

Elphaba stepped into the dark room and locked the door silently behind her when she felt something brush against her calf. Bending down, she stroked the cat but froze when a familiar dark shade of red caught her eye.

Tracing the streaks of dried blood on the floor carefully, her heart sank when she reached the source of it all.

"_Almost believing_

_That this one's not pretend"_

"….I told you to stay away…reminded you it wasn't safe….why couldn't you listen to me? Instead of being that stubborn, insistent prince you are, Yero…I told you not to come back…" She sobbed quietly to herself, tears burning her cheeks.

Elphaba could hardly be bothered to wipe her tears away anymore. Every time she did, two more would roll down to replace it.

She knelt down on the ground, shoulders heaving as she gasped for air to calm herself down, looking very much like the schoolgirl so many years ago when he first talked to her.

Elphaba recalled that day vividly in her head.

He had approached her in her time of need: Provided her with comfort, warmth and reassurance when no one else would. He had looked, without loathe, scorn or fear, into her eyes when her own mother could not. He had even called her beautiful, and corrected her when she accused him of lying.

He was honest with her, he cared for her and loved her deeply with all his heart and soul ad their affection was mutual.

But it was never meant to be, was it?

Because if it were by Ozma's will, he would be here, now, by her side; hugging and caressing and telling her that everything would be alright.

"_Let's go on dreaming_

_Though we know we are"_

Eyes stinging, she turned to gaze out at the night sky through the dusty window. Memories crashed back and flooded her head, drowning her in its nostalgia.

Elphaba recounted the stars, found an extra one she missed out on nights before and smiled to herself as another tear rolled down her face.

"_So close"_

It might have been her imagination.

But that star, the one closest to her, was almost a perfect diamond. Shining brighter than all the others and maybe…just maybe…

With that tinge of blue she loved so much.

Choking back silent tears, Elphaba whispered to the star. "…I still love you, you know…"

"_So close"_

"…I know…"

Fiyero sat amongst the clouds, invisible to everyone but himself, and watched his beloved. Watched her mourn his death, seen her pace about the room aimlessly and cry at every other corner.

"…I know…and I love you too…with all my heart, being and soul…I love you and I'm sorry….I love you…I really do…" Biting back bitter tears, he repeated himself as if the more he said it, the higher the chances of her hearing it, desperately willing the wind to somehow carry his voice down to her.

"_And still"_

A slight breeze blew through the window and Elphaba felt strangely comforted by the whispering wind. She could have sworn she heard him, but it could have been her mind playing tricks on her; mixing up reality with what she wanted to be reality.

Nonetheless, she felt reassured.

Drying her face, Elphaba tucked herself under the covers and closed her eyes, slowly drifting off to the world where reality was what she wanted it to be. Now the only place where she could feel his warmth again without having to hug herself to make it seem real.

"_So far"_

Thoughts travelled up and the sky cried that night.

But quietly…because he wanted her to sleep well.

.:xoxo:.


End file.
